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ZI'est Edk Mtne <br />Minnesota Creek. Some burning of the B Seam has occurred along outcrops on Jumbo Mountain <br />and in the Minnesota Creek drainage, predominantly on south and west-facing slopes. <br />B Seam Lithology <br />The B Seam typically comprises three coal benches sepazated by persistent rock partings. The <br />coat benches have been designated in descending sequence as B1, B2, and B3 (Figure 6). All <br />three benches are present in the permit area with varying thickness. <br />In other areas of MCC's lease holdings the minable portion of the B Seam occurs at the top of <br />the seam where the B1 and B2 benches are closely associated and attain sufficient combined <br />thickness. In these areas, the upper coal benches are thinly sepazated by a parting informally <br />called the "Mazker Parting" and formally designated as the Ml Parting. The Ml Parting in the <br />permit area varies from 0.2' in the north to 29.6' in the south at hole MG-15. Its irregular <br />occurrence may preclude or limit the potential for longwall mining. <br />The M2 Parting is also present in the B Seam within the South of Divide permit area. The M2 <br />Parting develops in the upper section of the B2 coal bench typically 1.5' to 2.0' below the Ml <br />Parting, decreasing the mineable bench of coal to the lower B2 bench. The M2 Parting has been <br />encountered previously in the B Seam reserve in the Jumbo Mountain and Box Canyon leases. <br />Parting composition varies from bone and carbonaceous mudstone on the fringes to fine-grained <br />siltstones and sandstones as the parting thickens. In the Box Canyon reserve, the M2 Parting at 0.5' <br />or greater in thickness defines the mineable boundary for longwall mining using current <br />technology. <br />Beneath the B2 coal bench, a thick rock parting sepazates the mineable portion of the B Seam <br />from the lowermost, impure B3 coal bench (Figure 6). Because of its position near the base of <br />the mining interval, this parting is informally called the "Lower Parting." The underlying B3 <br />coal bench contains numerous bone and shale partings, and as a result, is not of salable quality. <br />This coal bench grades downward and laterally into a carbonaceous shale. The contrast in coal <br />quality between the upper, mineable portion of the B Seam and the impure, lower bench is <br />shown in Table 2, along with the average as-shipped quality of the B Seam from the Box Canyon <br />reserve and the E Seam from the South of Divide reserve. <br />Table 2 Average Coal Quality <br /> U er Lower Product Quali <br />Parameter B Seam B Seam B Seam E Seam F Seam <br /> In situ In situ Actual Pro'ected Actual <br />Moisture (%) 7 7 7.8 8.5 11.1 10.0 <br />Ash (%) 7.1 16.8 9.5 6.5 9.7 <br />BTU (%) 11,900 10,800 11,900 11,700 11,300 <br />Sulfur %) 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.5 <br /> <br />2.04-23 Revised November 2004 PRIO <br />